Refinishing 100 yr old white pine floor
Yardley
12 years ago
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powermuffin
12 years agolast modified: 9 years agoglennsfc
12 years agolast modified: 9 years agoRelated Discussions
House has 4 yr old wood floors, looks like 24yrs old!
Comments (8)The only difference I can see with older wood flooring is that a lot of it seems to be clear or high grade and thus it was likely cut from the outer portion of a tree as opposed to the center. Wood from the center of a tree is called juvenile wood and is formed during the first 5-25 years of growth. It tends to have less dimensional stability and lower density (contrary to Lowe's "center cut is better" lumber ads). So it quite possible with some of today's flooring (especially strip) that you are seeing softer juvenile wood from the center of the tree. That said, many hardwood sawmills do not cut the center of a tree for any grade lumber and instead utilize it for pallet cants or railroad ties. Softwood sawmills cut studs right down to the pith, much to the dismay of today's framing carpenter. Commercial sawmills sell the higher grades of lumber (FAS, #1 Common) to cabinet plants and distribution yards while the lower grades (#2, #3) go to the large commercial flooring plants. Through optimization, the flooring plants can make select or #1 Common grades of 2" wide flooring from low grade lumber. What I posted earlier about density is true if one is comparing apples to apples. A tight growth-ring piece of oak lumber from the non-juvenile portion of a 150 year old tree has LOWER density than a second growth piece of similar lumber from a 70 year old oak tree. The explanation is simple. Slower growth results in a higher proportion of lower density earlywood cells (the annual rings you see). With faster growth, you get more thick walled latewood cells and the same amount of earlywood cells which remains constant. For anyone interested in learning about wood and wood properties, there are plenty of good resources available. My source is "Forest Products and Wood Science" by John Haygreen and Jim Bowyer....See MoreRefinishing old Pine floors
Comments (4)I have only come across this issue once. A floor had area rugs on them so long that the light had bleached the perimeter of the room. Just like yours, it did not sand out. The only solution I can suggest is to find a light/medium stain that would be close to the color of the centers of the rooms and stain the entire floor. IMO, trying to stain the areas different isn't likely to work. For the best result, apply a light coat of water to the entire floor, let it dry then apply the stain. You can add up to 8oz. of the same stain to each gallon of oil-modified polyurethane and apply two coats of tinted poly, abrading lightly between coats. Abrade the second coat and apply a final coat of clear satin oil poly. It would be ideal if you have an area where you can make a sample first. This process should make the center of the room slightly darker and the edges of the room much darker, and address the issue of the Pine possibly being splotchy from the staining process....See Moreflooring options for 100 yr old house?
Comments (5)Before you consider removing the tile, go to a reputable source and get facts. I don't think it is ever advisable to do it yourself. It will take10- 20-30-40 years to know if you've caused yourself harm, and many people never get sick. Not worth the risk! I was bothered that there was carpeting over hardwood in my living room when we moved in. Pulled it up, discovered the floor could not be restored. Perhaps you can think of your floor that way, that it cannot be restored. And, also, we had beautiful hardwood installed over asbestos lino in our kitchen and dining room. It is fine to do that. Cover, do not remove asbestos flooring....See More100 year old floors, pine?
Comments (3)I would it's say pine or douglas fir, and judging by how few knots there are in the wood, it's a high grade lumber. I would absolutely sand and refinish them, especially in a historic home. Be sure to put a solid topcoat on as it is likely a softer wood....See MoreYardley
12 years agolast modified: 9 years agoYardley
12 years agolast modified: 9 years agobrickeyee
12 years agolast modified: 9 years agosombreuil_mongrel
12 years agolast modified: 9 years agoYardley
12 years agolast modified: 9 years agobrandygirl
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12 years agolast modified: 9 years agoYardley
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12 years agolast modified: 9 years agotectonicfloors
12 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
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